Village of Darien Board approves conditional-use permit for Casey's General Store

The Darien Village Board on Monday approved a conditional-use permit for a 4,700-square-foot convenience store and gas station to be built at the intersection of Highway 14, Badger Parkway and Gerry Way.

“If the CUP is approved on Monday, it is very likely the project will move forward,” Village Administrator Rebecca LeMire wrote in an email to The Gazette before the board’s vote.

The next step is a site plan review. Detailed site plans including landscaping, stormwater and utilities require plan commission approval only, LeMire said.

“Site plan approval and building plan approval are mainly objective, meaning that if the plans meet the codes, they will be approved,” LeMire wrote.

Once plans are approved, Casey’s officials can submit plans for building permits. There’s not yet a timeline for when the store will be built, she said.

Casey’s officials applied for a second conditional-use permit for a pylon sign they want on the property. A public hearing will be held Wednesday, Nov. 15, followed by possible board action Monday, Nov. 20, LeMire wrote.

At some point, the applicant will need to create a parcel for the planned development. Casey’s is planning on using about 3 acres of the nearly 10-acre property, requiring a certified survey map the plan commission and possibly the village board will need to approve, LeMire wrote.

The owners of a Darien Food Market across the street from the planned development are worried Casey’s will “bulldoze” them out of business, they wrote last month in a letter to the Darien Plan Commission.

“A giant like Casey’s proposal to open a similar business across the street from us is a cause for great concern, as the launch of a chain store will not only rob the beautiful village community image that we all strive to protect and preserve but also impact on the livelihood of our family-owned business,” their letter reads.